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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

What could the future hold for adult entertainment brand Playboy? Think futuristic club: a zero-gravity dance club and a casino featuring "human roulette" – in outer space no less.

The potential Playboy Club in outer space would also include a restaurant for fine dining. It would be a massive structure for fun and games on a huge private space station, all in sci-fi fashion. Casino whales would be most welcome here.

We wonder if Australia's casino tycoon James Packer would want to get in on the action, and perhaps Yankee property tycoon Donald Trump, along with Las Vegas casino king Steve Wynn.

The space station project would be in conjunction with the space tourism company Virgin Galactic.

The concept is the brainchild of artist Thomas Tenery. The adult entertainment magazine also worked with several futurists and scientists, including Adam Wells, Virgin Galactic's head designer.

"As Virgin Galactic gets closer to becoming the world's first commercial space line, Playboy is eagerly pondering the creation of the ultimate intergalactic entertainment destination," Playboy editorial director Jimmy Jellinek said in a statement . "This heaven-in-the-heavens will exceed starry-eyed travelers' wildest dreams, and guests will truly experience a party that's out of this world."

The idea brings Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's vision to another dimension, which the magazine said tracks with the path of space exploration.

In the early 1960s, Hefner started opening Playboy Clubs and publishing the magazine's iconic "pad" features as the space race heated up.

"So at the dawn of the new space race, as corporations rather than governments vie to be the first to launch pleasure-seeking civilians into the heavens, we created the first renderings of a new celestial mecca," the magazine stated on its website. "With the help of futurists and rocket scientists … we imagine a Playboy Club in space. Here's your exclusive ticket to a party that's out of this world."

"The Playboy Club in space will be on a station in orbit, like a cruise ship," Playboy writers A.J. Baime and Jason Harper said. "Orbiting Earth is one idea, but it could also travel around other celestial bodies."

Readers, we're hear to tell you that the 'Rock N Roll Wrestling Connection' is back, with a bit of casino fun and games thrown into the mix, both in Australia and in the USA.

'Ocean's Eleven' has been chosen as the best movie remake of all time in a recent poll.

Australia casino king James Packer, is probably going to be pleased to hear that land based casino themed movies are in vogue, since he's looking to open or take over his own Sydney, Australia casino soon. Obviously, JP won't be hoping for a casino robbery - to state the obvious. Vegas casino and hotel tycoon Steve Wynn would have caught the 'Ocean's Eleven' news no doubt. Not sure if Kevin Nash (once upon a time known as Vinnie Vegas) did. Nash, also a former leading member of the nWo is currently off the WWE wrestling roster, following a feud with Triple H.

The movie, which is based on an original 1960 film, hit screens in 2001 and went on to gross over 450 million dollars worldwide.

It sees Clooney lead an all-star cast of Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts in an attempted casino robbery in Las Vegas.

Clooney has been dating former WWE wrestler - diva Stacey Keibler for over 6 months and they attended the Oscars together.

Leading man Clooney was up for a Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards.
And despite losing out on the Best Actor accolade, Clooney's girlfriend Stacy Keibler made sure he went home with an Oscar of his own as her dress appeared to have been inspired by the statuette.

Hollywood tough guys and action heroes Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis challenged each other to an arm wrestle during a recent night out.

The actors were enjoying a meal with their respective wives when they started arguing about who was in better shape.

Stallone, 65, challenged 56-year-old Willis to an arm wrestling match and the pair then swept aside glasses, cutlery and plates to lock arms and start their fight.

Diners at nearby tables were initially stunned but as as they recognised the wrestler like actors they started cheering and Willis and Stallone grunted, groaned and wheezed for several minutes.

However, the men's wives were not impressed and asked them to "break it up", which they duly listened to.

It's understood that soon after their meal, Stallone went into hospital to have an operation on his shoulder, although it is not thought to have any link to his night out with Willis.

A Media Man agency spokesperson said "We suspect this may be another elaborate publicity stunt by Team Stallone, although we can't prove it. Stallone fans will recall that only a week ago Stallone was photographed in a hospital bed alongside long time mate Arnold Schwarzenegger, both nursing the same injury, and Arnold took a photo for the world to see. Well, as least the cast of Expendables 2 is doing well, and it seems that they sure as heck know how to promote a movie".

Action movie fans take note however that in the filming of the original Expendables WWE wrestling legend "Stone Cold" Steve Austin did break the neck of Stallone for real, or so the story goes.

It is a comedy/drama about a professional wrestler who is afraid of conflict in real life. He is nearing the end of his career and finds out he has one fan left in an 8-year old boy, who hides a secret that will change Leo's life forever. The film was shot entirely on location in Chicago.

The film won Best Feature at the 2011 Sunscreen Film Festival in St. Petersburg, Florida, and was an official selection at the 2011 Seattle True Independent Film Festival.

Roddy Piper is also rumoured to be one of the house-mates in upcoming WWE reality TV show, 'Legends House'.

Four Canadians indicted on US gambling charges; Online Casino Royale or Ocean's Eleven...

US authorities seized the gambling website Bodog on Tuesday and announced the indictment of four Canadians on charges of illegal sports betting and money laundering, including founder Calvin Ayre.

The federal grand jury indictment of Ayre, James Philip, David Ferguson, Derrick Maloney and the Bodog Entertainment Group was unsealed in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the latest blow by US prosecutors against online gambling.

"Sports betting is illegal in Maryland, and federal law prohibits bookmakers from flouting that law simply because they are located outside the country," US Attorney Rod Rosenstein said in a statement.

"Many of the harms that underlie gambling prohibitions are exacerbated when the enterprises operate over the Internet without regulation," Rosenstein said.

US law prohibits US financial institutions from knowingly accepting payments for online gambling made through credit cards, electronic transfers and checks, but bills have been introduced in the US Congress to ease the restrictions.

In April, 11 people were charged with bank fraud, money laundering and other offenses in a crackdown on the three largest online poker companies -- Absolute Poker, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

A spokeswoman for the US Attorney's Office told the press that none of the four accused Canadians is in custody but warrants have been issued for their arrests and the United States would seek their extradition.

The indictment accuses Bodog and the defendants of conducting an illegal online sports gambling business and conspiring to commit money laundering between June 2005 and January 2012.

"The defendants and their conspirators allegedly moved funds from Bodog's accounts located in Switzerland, England, Malta, Canada and elsewhere to pay winnings to gamblers, and to pay media brokers and advertisers located in the United States," the US Attorney's Office said.

"The conspirators directed payment processors to send at least $100 million by wire and by check to gamblers located in Maryland and elsewhere," it said.

Internal Revenue Service special agent Eric Hylton said "laundering money from illegal activity such as illegal Internet gambling is a crime.

"Regardless of how the money changes hands -- via cash, check, wire transfers or credit cards -- and regardless of where the money is stored -- in a United States financial institution or an offshore bank -- we will trace the funds," Hylton said.

In an affidavit supporting a seizure warrant for the Bodog.com website domain name, a former employee of Bodog was quoted as saying the gambling operation has hundreds of employees in Canada and Costa Rica.

A visitor to Bodog.com is met with a message reading "This domain name has been seized" and pictures of the official seals of the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security.

In a statement on his website, Ayre, who is described by Forbes magazine as a "former billionaire," said the Bodog.com domain name has been dormant for some time.

"Not sure what to say," Ayre said. "The brand left the market last year and the domain in question has been dormant globally for longer than that."

Ayre, 50, who launched Bodog.com in 1994 and operates several other gaming websites, also said he was a victim of "abuse of the US criminal justice system for the commercial gain of large US corporations.

"It is clear that the online gaming industry is legal under international law," he said. "It is also clear that the rule of law was not allowed to slow down a rush to try to win the war of public opinion."

The gambling charges are punishable by up to five years in prison while a conviction for money laundering conspiracy can bring 20 years behind bars.

The Four Horsemen Including Ric Flair To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame 2012; Jim Ross Tweets - 27th Feb 2012...

Ross on Ric Flair’s Birthday: Happy Birthday to Ric Flair. Naitch called me this past week to catch up. He’s got a great opportunity with Coca Cola’s energy drink along with his state lottery work. I went on You Tube and checked out Ric’s TV commercials for the lotteries he promotes and they were hilarious.

Some of my fondest memories in the business involve Ric Flair and I’m so blessed to have been able to broadcast not only many Ric Flair bout but @ShawnMichaels bouts over the years, too as they are widely considered the two, best, all around pro wrestlers ever. That’s a debate that will rage on until the end of time but no one can intelligently say that Naitch and HBK aren’t on an abbreviated list of the best ever.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Continues His Journey Towards WrestleMania Match With John Cena...

Never before, never again, reads the tagline for this WrestleMania match of the decade (if not century).

One one side of the ring is wrestler, turned Hollywood movie megastar, Johnson, and on the other side, wrestler - rapper (and occasional actor, John Cena).

In old school terms, there is a lot of "heat" between the two, or at least that's what the WWE storyline would have you believe.

WWE head honcho Vince McMahon is set to make a financial killing with this with live tickets, PPV (including Australia's Foxtel - Main Event), merchandising, advertising and god knows what else.

Fruity pebbles are set to collide as Mr 'You Can't See Me' Cena wrestles with "The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment" with a lot of 'Boots To Asses" thrown in there.

WrestleMania is a bit of a triple headliner this year with CM Punk ("The Best In The World" VS Chris Jericho ("The best in the world at everything I do", then there's Daniel Bryan VS Sheamus, and how can forget The Undertaker VS Triple H, as Hunter attempts to end The Undertakers's WrestleMania winning streak inside a 'Hell In A Cell' cage match.

All up the show is pretty loaded and may actually produce one or two matches of the year, but time will tell. Before you ask, no Brock Lesnar as he's still under contract to the UFC, even though he's retired from MMA. UFC are set to invade Sydney's AllPhones Arena on the 3rd March 2012.

The live WWE RAW tour will hit Sydney, Australia on Friday 31st August 2012. And if they tour Perth, WA they will likely perform at Crown Perth (formally known as Burswood Casino or Burswood Entertainment Complex).

Something tells us that Austin will be leaving his Broken Skull Ranch in Texas to catch WrestleMania lose up, and so should you.

Oh, if you didn't hear already, The Rock stars in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, which is currently breaking box office records in Australia, the US, and in most other parts of the world.

Readers, we're hear to tell you that the 'Rock N Roll Wrestling Connection' is back, with a bit of casino fun and games thrown into the mix, both in Australia and in the USA.

'Ocean's Eleven' has been chosen as the best movie remake of all time in a recent poll.

Australia casino king James Packer, is probably going to be pleased to hear that land based casino themed movies are in vogue, since he's looking to open or take over his own Sydney, Australia casino soon. Obviously, JP won't be hoping for a casino robbery - to state the obvious. Vegas casino and hotel tycoon Steve Wynn would have caught the 'Ocean's Eleven' news no doubt. Not sure if Kevin Nash (once upon a time known as Vinnie Vegas) did. Nash, also a former leading member of the nWo is currently off the WWE wrestling roster, following a feud with Triple H.

The movie, which is based on an original 1960 film, hit screens in 2001 and went on to gross over 450 million dollars worldwide.

It sees Clooney lead an all-star cast of Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts in an attempted casino robbery in Las Vegas.

Clooney has been dating former WWE wrestler - diva Stacey Keibler for over 6 months and they attended the Oscars together.

Leading man Clooney was up for a Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards.
And despite losing out on the Best Actor accolade, Clooney's girlfriend Stacy Keibler made sure he went home with an Oscar of his own as her dress appeared to have been inspired by the statuette.

Hollywood tough guys and action heroes Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis challenged each other to an arm wrestle during a recent night out.

The actors were enjoying a meal with their respective wives when they started arguing about who was in better shape.

Stallone, 65, challenged 56-year-old Willis to an arm wrestling match and the pair then swept aside glasses, cutlery and plates to lock arms and start their fight.

Diners at nearby tables were initially stunned but as as they recognised the wrestler like actors they started cheering and Willis and Stallone grunted, groaned and wheezed for several minutes.

However, the men's wives were not impressed and asked them to "break it up", which they duly listened to.

It's understood that soon after their meal, Stallone went into hospital to have an operation on his shoulder, although it is not thought to have any link to his night out with Willis.

A Media Man agency spokesperson said "We suspect this may be another elaborate publicity stunt by Team Stallone, although we can't prove it. Stallone fans will recall that only a week ago Stallone was photographed in a hospital bed alongside long time mate Arnold Schwarzenegger, both nursing the same injury, and Arnold took a photo for the world to see. Well, as least the cast of Expendables 2 is doing well, and it seems that they sure as heck know how to promote a movie".

Action movie fans take note however that in the filming of the original Expendables WWE wrestling legend "Stone Cold" Steve Austin did break the neck of Stallone for real, or so the story goes.

It is a comedy/drama about a professional wrestler who is afraid of conflict in real life. He is nearing the end of his career and finds out he has one fan left in an 8-year old boy, who hides a secret that will change Leo's life forever. The film was shot entirely on location in Chicago.

The film won Best Feature at the 2011 Sunscreen Film Festival in St. Petersburg, Florida, and was an official selection at the 2011 Seattle True Independent Film Festival.

Roddy Piper is also rumoured to be one of the house-mates in upcoming WWE reality TV show, 'Legends House'.

Four Canadians indicted on US gambling charges; Online Casino Royale or Ocean's Eleven...

US authorities seized the gambling website Bodog on Tuesday and announced the indictment of four Canadians on charges of illegal sports betting and money laundering, including founder Calvin Ayre.

The federal grand jury indictment of Ayre, James Philip, David Ferguson, Derrick Maloney and the Bodog Entertainment Group was unsealed in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the latest blow by US prosecutors against online gambling.

"Sports betting is illegal in Maryland, and federal law prohibits bookmakers from flouting that law simply because they are located outside the country," US Attorney Rod Rosenstein said in a statement.

"Many of the harms that underlie gambling prohibitions are exacerbated when the enterprises operate over the Internet without regulation," Rosenstein said.

US law prohibits US financial institutions from knowingly accepting payments for online gambling made through credit cards, electronic transfers and checks, but bills have been introduced in the US Congress to ease the restrictions.

In April, 11 people were charged with bank fraud, money laundering and other offenses in a crackdown on the three largest online poker companies -- Absolute Poker, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

A spokeswoman for the US Attorney's Office told the press that none of the four accused Canadians is in custody but warrants have been issued for their arrests and the United States would seek their extradition.

The indictment accuses Bodog and the defendants of conducting an illegal online sports gambling business and conspiring to commit money laundering between June 2005 and January 2012.

"The defendants and their conspirators allegedly moved funds from Bodog's accounts located in Switzerland, England, Malta, Canada and elsewhere to pay winnings to gamblers, and to pay media brokers and advertisers located in the United States," the US Attorney's Office said.

"The conspirators directed payment processors to send at least $100 million by wire and by check to gamblers located in Maryland and elsewhere," it said.

Internal Revenue Service special agent Eric Hylton said "laundering money from illegal activity such as illegal Internet gambling is a crime.

"Regardless of how the money changes hands -- via cash, check, wire transfers or credit cards -- and regardless of where the money is stored -- in a United States financial institution or an offshore bank -- we will trace the funds," Hylton said.

In an affidavit supporting a seizure warrant for the Bodog.com website domain name, a former employee of Bodog was quoted as saying the gambling operation has hundreds of employees in Canada and Costa Rica.

A visitor to Bodog.com is met with a message reading "This domain name has been seized" and pictures of the official seals of the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security.

In a statement on his website, Ayre, who is described by Forbes magazine as a "former billionaire," said the Bodog.com domain name has been dormant for some time.

"Not sure what to say," Ayre said. "The brand left the market last year and the domain in question has been dormant globally for longer than that."

Ayre, 50, who launched Bodog.com in 1994 and operates several other gaming websites, also said he was a victim of "abuse of the US criminal justice system for the commercial gain of large US corporations.

"It is clear that the online gaming industry is legal under international law," he said. "It is also clear that the rule of law was not allowed to slow down a rush to try to win the war of public opinion."

The gambling charges are punishable by up to five years in prison while a conviction for money laundering conspiracy can bring 20 years behind bars.

The Four Horsemen Including Ric Flair To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame 2012; Jim Ross Tweets - 27th Feb 2012...

Ross on Ric Flair’s Birthday: Happy Birthday to Ric Flair. Naitch called me this past week to catch up. He’s got a great opportunity with Coca Cola’s energy drink along with his state lottery work. I went on You Tube and checked out Ric’s TV commercials for the lotteries he promotes and they were hilarious.

Some of my fondest memories in the business involve Ric Flair and I’m so blessed to have been able to broadcast not only many Ric Flair bout but @ShawnMichaels bouts over the years, too as they are widely considered the two, best, all around pro wrestlers ever. That’s a debate that will rage on until the end of time but no one can intelligently say that Naitch and HBK aren’t on an abbreviated list of the best ever.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Continues His Journey Towards WrestleMania Match With John Cena...

Never before, never again, reads the tagline for this WrestleMania match of the decade (if not century).

One one side of the ring is wrestler, turned Hollywood movie megastar, Johnson, and on the other side, wrestler - rapper (and occasional actor, John Cena).

In old school terms, there is a lot of "heat" between the two, or at least that's what the WWE storyline would have you believe.

WWE head honcho Vince McMahon is set to make a financial killing with this with live tickets, PPV (including Australia's Foxtel - Main Event), merchandising, advertising and god knows what else.

Fruity pebbles are set to collide as Mr 'You Can't See Me' Cena wrestles with "The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment" with a lot of 'Boots To Asses" thrown in there.

WrestleMania is a bit of a triple headliner this year with CM Punk ("The Best In The World" VS Chris Jericho ("The best in the world at everything I do", then there's Daniel Bryan VS Sheamus, and how can forget The Undertaker VS Triple H, as Hunter attempts to end The Undertakers's WrestleMania winning streak inside a 'Hell In A Cell' cage match.

All up the show is pretty loaded and may actually produce one or two matches of the year, but time will tell. Before you ask, no Brock Lesnar as he's still under contract to the UFC, even though he's retired from MMA. UFC are set to invade Sydney's AllPhones Arena on the 3rd March 2012.

The live WWE RAW tour will hit Sydney, Australia on Friday 31st August 2012. And if they tour Perth, WA they will likely perform at Crown Perth (formally known as Burswood Casino or Burswood Entertainment Complex).

Something tells us that Austin will be leaving his Broken Skull Ranch in Texas to catch WrestleMania lose up, and so should you.

Oh, if you didn't hear already, The Rock stars in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, which is currently breaking box office records in Australia, the US, and in most other parts of the world.

The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".

The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.

PartyCasino.com is one of a number of Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment brands.

The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.

The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.

Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Co-CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasinowill soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.

PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.

The Australian casino (or gaming) wars have got to a whole new level. It's Packer's Crown VS Echo Entertainment in an almost 'State Of Origin' type battle for the bulk of Australia's land based casinos. One that will take place in a boardroom, rather than on a football field, but make no mistake - it's war.

But, there is no war but peace between Crown Limited and NSW Premiere Barry O'Farrell.

The New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell advised he is very pleased with plans for a second Sydney casino at Barangaroo.

James Packer's Crown Casino - Crown Limited gaming giant desires to construct a world class hotel, casino and entertainment complex at the site based Sydney Harbour.

It's a given that Packer has been watching the success of Echo Entertainment's The Star, which overlooks Sydney Harbour - but has recently got itself into a few scandals.

Last week Crown Limited increased its stake in Echo Entertainment, which runs The Star casino.

Mr O'Farrell says the proposal for a second venue would bring jobs and tourism to Barangaroo, however it would need to achieve regulatory approval before moving forward to development.

John Lee from the Tourism Transport Forum says it would add life to the area.

"You only have to go to Melbourne and see that area around the Yarra River, yes there's Crown Casino there, but there is also movie cinemas, bowling alleys - there's all sorts of things that entertain people when they go to the precinct," he said.

"It's actually a place now, or a destination that people love to go to."

Currently the law allows for only one Sydney casino licence until 2019.

Greens MP John Kaye says Sydney does not need a second casino.

"There shouldn't be a back door deal between the Packers and the Premier - this should be a matter of public debate," he said.

"If you put this to the people of New South Wales they will say no to a new casino because they know it increases problem gambling, they know it increases connections to organised crime."

Packer and his team have a history of getting things done... perhaps move than that of say Prime Minister Julie Gillard.

The NSW Premier, Barry O'Farrell, has embraced plans by James Packer's group for a hotel and second Sydney casino at Barangaroo on land set aside as playing fields for office workers.

On Friday Mr Packer's casino group, Crown, advised Mr O'Farrell that Crown wanted a second Sydney casino as part of a hotel and restaurant complex in the centre of the harbourside site, which the Barangaroo Delivery Authority says is intended for "civic, educational and recreation spaces".

The plan also involves building a 5 star hotel well north of the proposed commercial precinct, ensuring guests on upper floors have unobstructed views of the Sydney Opera House and the Heads.

"It's the sort of tourism-related investment we want in Sydney but everyone's aware there are a range of regulatory approvals needed before it could proceed," Mr O'Farrell said.

Those approvals include permission from government bodies for a second Sydney casino because the law now allows only one licence until 2019.

On Friday Crown increased to 10 per cent its stake in Echo Entertainment, which owns the Star casino, and has sought permission from regulators to increase its stake further.

If Crown Limited can gain control of the Star, its executive chairman, Mr Packer, could in fact pursue his plan for a Barangaroo casino to operate under an extended licence for the Star.

He has flagged that such a casino would not need poker machines and could simply have gaming tables, of which the Star can have an unlimited number.

As well as approval for a second casino, Crown Limited or another developer would need the government to change planning rules for the site which now restrict any building to 30 metres high and allow only 60,000 square metres of development in the whole of Barangaroo Central.

Last week a US landscape architect, Peter Walker, who has been retained to design Barangaroo's headland park, revealed that his plans included open playing fields for office workers, similar to the Domain on the eastern side of the central business district.

He has also proposed an outdoor space or amphitheatre for concerts in the central area of Barangaroo, which is proposed as a transition between the commercial towers in the south and the headland park in the north.

James Packer planning $1.5bn casino investment...

Crown Limited plans to spend more than $1.5 billion on building new luxury hotels in Sydney and Perth, after boosting its investment in rival casino operator Echo Entertainment, Crown's executive chairman James packer advised The Australian Financial Review.

Mr Packer's plan to expand the Crown chain beyond Melbourne is part of a campaign to attract wealthy Chinese gamblers aka "Oriental whale VIP high rollers" to Australia's shores, he told the newspaper.

“I want to build one in Perth and one in Sydney to go with what we have in Melbourne. It puts these cities on the map."

Mr Packer's comments come after Crown spent more than $250 million lifting its stake in Echo, which owns The Star casino in Sydney, and Jupiters on the Gold Coast, to 10 per cent, from 4.9 per cent previously.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Hollywood and AussieWood is continuing its lover affair with superhero themes, movie revamps and the like, and Australian fans are lapping it up with the superhero jackpot bonanza.

From Bondi Beach to the USA (home to the original Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno), most of the world loves Marvel Entertainment superhero genre motion pictures.

This year we're looking at a ton of sequels, prequels, remakes... you name it. The Hollywood studios will be pumping out their best efforts in order to make as much money as they can muster, and who is to blame them... especially in this strained economy.

Entertainment giant Marvel Entertainment are going to be spinning out their “The Amazing Spider-Man”, hitting us hard with "The Avengers", "Ghost Rider" is about to ride into "Sin City" Sydney, Australia, and then there's Australia's favourite son, Hugh Jackman back in "The Wolverine".

The Incredible Hulk Sneak Peak From Avengers...

Here's the Incredible Hulk close up you have been waiting for.

This time around it's Mark Ruffalo who is the actor that plays the Hulk’s alter-ego Bruce Banner. It’s reported that the Hulk character was rendered using motion-capture so he should have a natural look and feel to him.

You have 6 awesome super heroes that come together to take out an enemy that’s threatening the world's safety and security. It’s strongly rumoured that the Red Skull is going to turn up to join evil Loki in causing chaos. The movie hits U.S theatres on May 4th, and Australia should soon follow.

Here’s a look at some of this year’s coming attractions...(US dates)

Nicolas Cage provides a winter warm-up with “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” (Feb. 17), returning as the bounty hunter from hell on a mission to rescue a child from the devil.

Next is “The Amazing Spider-Man” (July 3), with Andrew Garfield taking over as Peter Parker in director Marc Webb’s new take on how a mutant spider bite turns a teen into a web-slinging hero.

Christian Bale returns as Batman in “The Dark Knight Rises” (July 20), director Christopher Nolan’s third and final tale of the well to do vigilante with all the cool gadgets. Anne Hathaway joins the cast as Catwoman.

After the late Heath Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight,” Nolan went with a lesser-known villain: This time, it’s Bane (Tom Hardy), known to comic-book fans as the brute who breaks Batman’s back and puts him in a wheelchair.

The Avengers are assembling...

Disney released more stills from its superhero superteam movie reving up fans who are eagerly awaiting the answers to the age-old question, who would win in a fight between The Incredible Hulk and The Mighty Thor.

The first image shows Captain America (Chris Evans) in full updated costume and shield, flanked by Avengers teammates Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Joahnsson), the three heroes walking as if they mean business. The second still is slightly less dramatic, simply showing Thor (Chris Hemsworth) gripping a conference room chair, pondering heavy thoughts next to S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg).

"When you walk out of your trailer and you bump into Chris Hemsworth with the cape on and you see Downey in the Iron Man suit and that’s when you really get excited and you start geeking out a bit,” Evans told The News last year from the film's New Mexico set.

Fans are already starting to geek out, more than two months before the film's May 4 (U.S) release date.

The Marvel Studios movie, which is directed by fanboy favorite Joss Whedon, unites three franchises (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Hulk) within an even bigger franchise that’s expected to be one of the biggest box office hits of all time.

Avengers News cont...

Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”--the super hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel super heroes Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon from a screenplay by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.

Marvel Release Dates Updated (U.S)

In addition to "Marvel's The Avengers," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Iron Man 3" on May 3, 2013; and "Thor 2" on November 15, 2013.

Andrew Garfield as Spiderman Featured in an Avengers (English, 2012) Cameo...

Mumbai, Feb 13, 2012 - A few days ago we reported the rampant Internet rumor that Andrew Garfield’s Spiderman would be featured in an Avengers cameo. All of this was built off a statement made by actress Jenny Agutter who has a small role in the Whedon production. Well, we’ve stumbled across another source who confirms Spider mans cameo in Avengers.

“This will be similar to how Wolverine made a quick cameo in X-Men: First Class and Sony’s going to make sure to promote their new Spiderman movie any way they can. Andrew (Garfield) isn’t a widely known actor so they want to get his face on everything, including The Avengers even if it’s for a couple seconds.”

This is an absolute multiple bonanza for the superhero fans.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson, and written and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The film is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

The movie is to release in India on 27th April, 2011.

Marvel Comics and Movies Alive And Well At Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment...

Marvel superhero fans - great news... more superhero themed online games rumoured to be soon hitting PartyCasino. Stay tuned to the Media Man network for more on that.

If it sounds like 2012 is going to be a pretty good year for superhero movies, both on an entertainment front (for fans) and business angle (for studios etc), that's because it is. Enjoy brigadiers, and as Marvel living legend Stan Lee would say - Excelsior!

The Australian casino (or gaming) wars have got to a whole new level. It's Packer's Crown VS Echo Entertainment in an almost 'State Of Origin' type battle for the bulk of Australia's land based casinos. One that will take place in a boardroom, rather than on a football field, but make no mistake - it's war.

A takeover war is hovering over the head of Echo Entertainment...the owner of Sydney's The Star casino...as James Packer yesterday made an audacious bid to be represented on the company's board.

The Star has been recently embattled in a scandal regarding inappropriate behaviour of a former director, so its all very interesting timing, and perhaps sees them in a weak position at the moment. Channel Seven is also planning follow up stories on The Star, and to Joe Blogs the casino does like a bit like a soft target right now.

Mr Packer's Crown yesterday fired off a missile more than doubling its stake in The Star's owner to the current 10 per cent maximum it is allowed to hold. Crown also applied to NSW and Queensland authorities for permission to go above the 10 per cent cap: prompting talk Mr Packer wants to in fact take over Echo.

This is understood to be the big move in plans to build a land based casino at Sydney's Barangaroo.

In paperwork sent off to Mr Packer yesterday, Echo Entertainment chairman John Story rejected Mr Packer's board bid.

Mr Packer told Rupert Murdock owned The Daily Telegraph he was "disappointed" in the reaction: "This is a good synergy for both companies, and today's rise in Echo's share price shows that the market thinks so as well," he said.

Mr Story's letter to Mr Packer stated in part: "The board believes that it is inappropriate for a Crown nominee to be appointed to the board as Crown is a competitor organisation. Accordingly, we will not agree to your request."

There have been some signs of an unhealthy business relationship between the two outfits in the lead-up to yesterday's announcement by Crown.

One source of tension has been Echo's constitution, which details a cap preventing any one party from having "voting power" of more than 10 per cent of Echo. Late last year, senior Packer advisor Guy Jalland let loose an attack on Echo's shareholder limit, describing it as a "poison pill" that was not in the interests of the company's shareholders.

Key sharemarket analysts have tabled that Echo Entertainment is one of the market's most obvious takeover targets because of its strategic value to Crown - already a giant in the gaming sector in the Asia Pacific region.

The theory was tested in Echo shares yesterday, which leaped up 50 cents to $4.30 on the understanding that Mr Packer would now move forward a takeover bid.

There was also speculation yesterday that Crown may be looking for a slice of Echo's high-roller VIP "whale" business. The Star has improved its performance in the "whaling" sector since its relaunch late last year.

Packer has torpedos and plenty of bait to snare in Echo. Echo's original "whales" will help with Packer's bottom line net profit, and further helps cement his place as one of the world's real big fish casino moguls. Echo is a touch on the nose at the moment, thanks to the scandal that rocked their boat and captain Packer and his loyal shipmates look poised to go in for the kill.

Will it be ships ahoy, fair winds or man overboard? Stay tuned as the Media Man agency continues to probe to probe the murky waters of the Australian casino wars.

James Packer planning $1.5bn casino investment...

Crown Limited plans to spend more than $1.5 billion on building new luxury hotels in Sydney and Perth, after boosting its investment in rival casino operator Echo Entertainment, Crown's executive chairman James packer advised The Australian Financial Review.

Mr Packer's plan to expand the Crown chain beyond Melbourne is part of a campaign to attract wealthy Chinese gamblers aka "Oriental whale VIP high rollers" to Australia's shores, he told the newspaper.

“I want to build one in Perth and one in Sydney to go with what we have in Melbourne. It puts these cities on the map."

Mr Packer's comments come after Crown spent more than $250 million lifting its stake in Echo, which owns The Star casino in Sydney, and Jupiters on the Gold Coast, to 10 per cent, from 4.9 per cent previously.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Casino mogul Steve Wynn ousted his former friend and partner Kazuo Okada from the board of his Wynn Macau unit on Friday, in the latest twist to a gripping legal joust that shines a light into gaming industry governance.

The board's decision to un-seat Okada was effective immediately, Wynn Macau said in a brief statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange.

The removal of the Japanese billionaire from Wynn Macau's board signals a definitive end to a successful 12-year partnership with Wynn, CEO of parent Wynn Resorts, and could trigger a protracted legal battle.

Despite a very public tit-for-tat spat over donations and alleged "unacceptable conduct" and "inappropriate payments," Okada - an engineer who helped bankroll Wynn's $14 billion gaming empire - is still on the board of Wynn Resorts, which needs to convene a shareholder meeting to remove him.

Wynn Resorts has already forcibly redeemed Okada's nearly 20 percent stake in the company after an internal investigation by former FBI Director Louis Freeh revealed Okada - who made his fortune from pachinko and is CEO of Universal Entertainment Corp - violated U.S. anti-corruption laws.

On Friday, Okada refused to attend a meeting of Wynn Macau's nine-person board, called specially to remove him, and blasted the internal report as being based on "false and misleading assertions."

"Removing him from the board was easy, but the actual legal case could drag on for years," said Victor Yip, analyst at UOB Kay Hian in Hong Kong.

"Everything points against (Okada) now unless he can come up with something new," said Teng Yee Tan at CIMB Securities. "He's fighting alone against all the others."

BUSINESS AS USUAL

The falling-out between the two self-made tycoons was triggered last month when Okada filed a suit against Wynn for blocking access to financial documents related to a $135 million donation by Wynn Resorts to the University of Macau.

Each now claims the other made improper payments to foreign gaming regulators to win favor in their respective Macau and Philippines markets, and the acrimony has attracted the attention of legal regulators and investors worldwide.

On Friday, there was little sign of the boardroom drama on the gambling floors in Macau.

In the upmarket Wynn Macau, gaming tables were packed and business was booming beneath the opulent chandeliers. Crowds of mainland Chinese surrounded baccarat tables, with one chain-smoking gambler in a black leather jacket patiently waiting his turn with a stack of 10,000 chips.

Away from the action, the likely legal showdown will test regulators monitoring the tycoons' operations in Macau and the Philippines, where Okada's Universal Entertainment's $2 billion casino is due for completion in 2014.

The feuding has already drawn attention to possible cultural, as well as legal, differences over business practices in Asia and the United States, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has said it is investigating Wynn.

A second court hearing on Okada's lawsuit against Wynn Resorts - which had revenues of $5.3 billion last year - has been delayed until March 8.

In Manila, President Benigno Aquino said Cristino Naguiat, the head of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the country's gaming regulator, would face a cabinet-level inquiry into allegations he received "inappropriate" payments and gifts from Okada.

"There's a formal process. Let's have the allegations, let him answer it, then we will weigh the allegations versus his defense. We should afford him also the benefit of hearing him out before we can give judgment," Aquino told reporters.

Naguiat has denied receiving bribes, dismissing the allegations as "outrageous, politically-motivated and untrue."

PARTNERS TO RIVALS

Steve Wynn, the Vegas showman known for building high-end properties such as the Bellagio and Mirage, has maintained that Okada - after whom he named his casinos' upscale Japanese restaurants - went against a board decision to pursue a property in the Philippines, making him a direct competitor.

Okada is seeking to file a suit in Las Vegas for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to protect the interests of his subsidiary, Aruze USA, Inc in Wynn Resorts and to prevent the redemption of its shares.

Estimated to be worth $2.1 billion by Forbes magazine in 2011, Okada made his riches in pachinko - a uniquely Asian game that mixes slot machine style gambling with pinball, and which rakes in about 20 trillion yen ($250 billion) annually - more than the GDP of Hong Kong.

A resident of Hong Kong where he lives with his wife and young daughter, Okada was Wynn Resorts' largest shareholder, holding more than double the stake of Steve Wynn himself.

MACAU, Feb. 24, 2012 - Wynn Macau, Limited, a subsidiary of Wynn Resorts, Limited, today announced that its Board of Directors met today to review Mr. Kazuo Okada's status as a Director of the Company. All of the other Directors voted unanimously to remove Mr. Okada from the Board and the removal is effective immediately.

The Board of Directors issued the following joint statement:

"The Board considered the information disclosed by Wynn Resorts, Limited concerning the independent report (as further described in the 20 February Announcement) commissioned by the Compliance Committee of Wynn Resorts, Limited. After due consideration of the independent report, taking into account the Company's high ethical standards, the Board determined that it was obligated to remove Mr. Okada as a non-executive Director given the unacceptable conduct by Mr. Okada, his employees and associates detailed in the independent report. Accordingly, the Board resolved to remove Mr. Okada as a non-executive Director of the Company."

About Wynn Resorts

Wynn Resorts, Limited is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol WYNN and is part of the S&P 500 and NASDAQ-100 Indexes.

Our Las Vegas operations (Wynn Las Vegas and Encore) feature two luxury hotel towers with a total of 4,750 spacious hotel rooms, suites and villas, an approximately 186,000 square feet of casino space, 35 food and beverage outlets featuring signature chefs, an on-site 18-hole golf course, meeting space, an Ferrari and Maserati dealership, approximately 97,000 square feet of retail space as well as two showrooms; four nightclubs and a beach club.

Our Macau resort is a resort destination casino located in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China with two luxury hotel towers (Wynn Macau and Encore) with a total of 1,008 spacious rooms and suites, approximately 265,000 square feet of casino space, casual and fine dining in eight restaurants, approximately 54,200 square feet of retail space, recreation and leisure facilities, including two health clubs and spas, a pool.

Kevin Rudd says he has never asked any MP to speak to Clubs Australia about pokie machine reforms and has categorically denied claims to the contrary.

"The claims are entirely untrue," a spokesperson for Mr Rudd said in a statement late Wednesday.

"The Foreign Minister has never asked any MP to speak to Clubs Australia at any time on any matter relating to poker machines.

"The Minister would consider the publishing of such a claim as defamation, and would take action accordingly."

The former foreign minister's comments come after the Seven Network aired a statement on Wednesday night by Clubs Australia that claimed the lobby group had met with an MP "close to Kevin Rudd" in November last year.

AAP contacted Clubs Australia late on Wednesday night following the report and was sent a copy of statement.

"Clubs Australia did meet with an MP close to Kevin Rudd in late November which was specifically to discuss the issue of mandatory pre-commitment," Clubs Australia spokesman Jeremy Bath said in the statement.

"It was made clear at that meeting that Kevin Rudd was sympathetic to the concerns of clubs and as Prime Minister he would kill mandatory pre-commitment.

"Clubs Australia was encouraged to continue the campaign and was advised that we should target a select number of MPs.

"Clubs Australia then sought confirmation of Kevin Rudd's support through a known Rudd ally, which we duly received several days later."

In the Seven Network report on Wednesday, Labor backbencher Alan Griffin reportedly confirmed that he had met with Clubs Australia in November, but he denied he was acting on behalf of Mr Rudd.

Mr Griffin reportedly also told the network that he did not mention Mr Rudd during the meeting.

Mr Griffin told ABC Radio on Thursday he met with Clubs Australia twice - including once in his Parliament House office late in 2011.

He said Clubs Australia was visiting a number of MPs at the time.

Mr Griffin said he expressed "concerns about the policy and how it might operate" and the fact there was considerable consternation within the Labor caucus about it.

But he denied he gave a guarantee that if Mr Rudd was re-elected prime minister he would kill the pre-commitment scheme. (Credit: AAP)

HONG KONG, Feb 23, 2012 - Working closely with Hong Kong Disneyland Resort as one of its top-performing hotel partners, SkyCity Marriott proudly launches Hong Kong Disneyland's new 2-Day Ticket. Guests can now enjoy two magical visits to the Park with just one ticket.

With the new 2-Day Ticket, which costs only HK$100 more than the 1-Day Ticket, guests can enjoy flexibility in visiting the Park on any two days within a seven-day period. With every purchase of any two Hong Kong Disneyland Tickets at the concierge, guests will receive a complimentary special edition Toy Story Land Shopping Bag. Both 1-Day and 2-Day Tickets are now available at the hotel's concierge (refer to appendix A for price table).

To mark the launch of the new ticket type, guests who pre-book the Magical Escape Room Package to stay at the hotel between 1 March to 30 June 2012 will receive a complimentary upgrade from the 1-Day Ticket to a 2-Day Ticket as part of this exciting Hong Kong hotel deal. Guests can take their time to fully explore the Park and meet their favorite Toy Story friends in its latest Toy Story Land.

The Magical Escape Room Package is available for booking, Monday to Sunday, from HK$2,088+ per night. The Package includes a Deluxe Room one-night stay, two adult Hong Kong Disneyland Park Tickets and buffet breakfast for two. Reservations can be made through skycitymarriott.com or by calling (852) 3969 1888 (refer to appendix B for room package and promotion details).

Located just 20 minutes away from the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, SkyCity Marriott is one of the closest hotels in Hong Kong to the theme park. Due to its proximity, our 5 star Hong Kong hotel is popular among local Hong Kong residents and short-haul leisure travelers from South East Asia, who wish to visit Hong Kong Disneyland and experience five-star luxurious accommodations.

SkyCity Marriott first launched the Magical Escape Room package in 2009 and it is has been one of the most popular room packages, especially among families. The room package has been specially designed to cater to this market with the inclusion of Hong Kong Disneyland Park Tickets and buffet breakfast. To provide a seamless and hassle-free experience, SkyCity Marriott offers complimentary shuttle bus service to and from the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort on a daily basis -- 10am from SkyCity Marriott to the resort, 8:45pm from the resort to SkyCity Marriott.

In addition to our unparalleled holiday offer for families and leisure travelers, guests can also enjoy the hotel's five-star facilities -- 24-hour gym, 27-meter indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. For golf enthusiast, the SkyCity Nine Eagles Golf Course is at the door-step of the hotel. Traveling out of the hotel is convenient with complimentary shuttle bus service to Tung Chung MTR station and the Airport. To reach town, guest can take the Airport Express Line, which is connected to the hotel via AsiaWorld-Expo.

About Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel Nestled on the edge of Lantau Island and on banks of the South China Sea, the Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel offers a refreshing escape from the bustling city. A five-star luxury hotel, the Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel provides luxurious accommodations with 658 guest rooms, 13 premium meeting rooms for corporate events, houses five restaurants for a variety of dining options and offers pampering spa treats at the boutique Quan Spa. Transportation to the hotel is a breeze as the hotel is located next to the Hong Kong International Airport and is just a 28-minute train ride (Airport Express Line) away from Hong Kong's central business district. For the leisure travelers, they can enjoy the convenience of the hotel being located near Hong Kong's famous tourist attractions -- Disneyland, Ngong Ping 360 and the Tian Tan Buddha. This modern day oasis is perfect for conferences, business travelers and leisure guests seeking the best of both worlds -- the luxury and convenience of contemporary living set in peaceful tranquility.

About Hong Kong Disneyland Hong Kong Disneyland Resort offers immersive, unique Disney experiences for all families, generations and ages to enjoy. Hong Kong is one of only five locations in the world that is home to a Disney theme park and the many Disney characters that are beloved the world over, such as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Stitch and Buzz Lightyear. Since the Grand Opening in September 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland has received more than 31 million Guests from around the globe. Through the unique product offering and the world-class service provided by the 5,000 strong Cast at the theme park and the two hotels, the Resort has received outstanding Guest satisfaction ratings and a range of awards from the hospitality and entertainment sectors.

The Vegas Dream Ticket includes flights for you and a friend and a weekend stay in a luxury hotel. We'll even throw in some spending money so you can really live it up Vegas-style. You could hit the casinos, catch a show or party through the night it's up to you!

Find out how you can win:

Real Money Players

Winning a 5 Star Vegas Dream Ticket is easy. Just opt-in and collect as many points as you can between 12th January and 26th March 2012 to go shooting up our leaderboard and into the prize spots:

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Hollywood is continuing its lover affair with superhero themes, movie revamps and the like, and Australian fans are lapping it up with the superhero jackpot bonanza.

This year we're looking at a bush tucker bag of sequels, prequels, remakes... you name it. The Hollywood studios will be pumping out their best efforts in order to make as much money as they can muster, and who can blame them.

Entertainment kingpin Marvel Entertainment are going to be spinning out their “The Amazing Spider-Man”, hitting us hard with "The Avengers", "Ghost Rider" is about to ride into "Sin City" Sydney, Australia, and then there's Australia's favorite son, Hugh Jackman back in "The Wolverine".

The Warner Bros. - DC Comics tag-team is going to attempt to combat that Marvel onslaught with the next instalment of Batman - "The Dark Knight Rises", but most tipsters are picking Marvel to win the movie superhero fight over DC Comics this year, but time will tell.

Here’s a peek at some of this year’s coming attractions...(US dates)

Nicolas Cage provides a winter warm-up with “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” (Feb. 17), returning as the bounty hunter from hell on a mission to rescue a child from the devil.

Next is “The Amazing Spider-Man” (July 3), with Andrew Garfield taking over as Peter Parker in director Marc Webb’s new take on how a mutant spider bite turns a teen into a web-slinging hero.

Christian Bale returns as Batman in “The Dark Knight Rises” (July 20), director Christopher Nolan’s third and final tale of the well to do vigilante with all the cool gadgets. Anne Hathaway joins the cast as Catwoman.

After the late Heath Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight,” Nolan went with a lesser-known villain: This time, it’s Bane (Tom Hardy), known to comic-book fans as the brute who breaks Batman’s back and puts him in a wheelchair.

The Avengers are assembling...

Disney released more stills from its superhero superteam movie reving up fans who are eagerly awaiting the answers to the age-old question, who would win in a fight between The Incredible Hulk and The Mighty Thor.

The first image shows Captain America (Chris Evans) in full updated costume and shield, flanked by Avengers teammates Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Joahnsson), the three heroes walking as if they mean business. The second still is slightly less dramatic, simply showing Thor (Chris Hemsworth) gripping a conference room chair, pondering heavy thoughts next to S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg).

"When you walk out of your trailer and you bump into Chris Hemsworth with the cape on and you see Downey in the Iron Man suit and that’s when you really get excited and you start geeking out a bit,” Evans told The News last year from the film's New Mexico set.

Fans are already starting to geek out, more than two months before the film's May 4 (U.S) release date.

The Marvel Studios movie, which is directed by fanboy favorite Joss Whedon, unites three franchises (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Hulk) within an even bigger franchise that’s expected to be one of the biggest box office hits of all time.

Avengers News cont...

Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”--the super hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel super heroes Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon from a screenplay by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.

Marvel Release Dates Updated (U.S)

In addition to "Marvel's The Avengers," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Iron Man 3" on May 3, 2013; and "Thor 2" on November 15, 2013.

Andrew Garfield as Spiderman Featured in an Avengers (English, 2012) Cameo...

Mumbai, Feb 13, 2012 - A few days ago we reported the rampant Internet rumor that Andrew Garfield’s Spiderman would be featured in an Avengers cameo. All of this was built off a statement made by actress Jenny Agutter who has a small role in the Whedon production. Well, we’ve stumbled across another source who confirms Spider mans cameo in Avengers.

“This will be similar to how Wolverine made a quick cameo in X-Men: First Class and Sony’s going to make sure to promote their new Spiderman movie any way they can. Andrew (Garfield) isn’t a widely known actor so they want to get his face on everything, including The Avengers even if it’s for a couple seconds.”

This is an absolute multiple bonanza for the superhero fans.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson, and written and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The film is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

The movie is to release in India on 27th April, 2011.

The Wolverine Gets Release Date...

It is official, a sequel to that 2009 X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie will be coming to a theatre near you on or around July 26th 2013 (depends if your in the U.S, Australia or elsewhere). After months of production delays, including replacing Darren Aranofsky as director, that cigar smoking, 'bub' saying, furry Canadian Logan will once again rip things up. The film sequel is running with the title: The Wolverine and will take Logan to Japan where he finds a forbidden romance and the Silver Samurai to deal with. Hugh Jackman has already praised the script as being "one of the best we've ever had." This is good news for those fans and critics who felt the first Wolverine movie offering could have been better. We trust that director James Mangold and Hugh Jackman deliver on this to keep both Marvel hardcore and casual fans happy. What the critics will think is anyone's guess, but as a few stars have noted - movies are made for fans (not critics).

'Ghost Rider' movie controversy; Red hot back story...

The new "Ghost Rider" movie's ticket sales are not very strong, but the controversy raging in the comic-book community is like a mega fireball.

The story begins back in 1972, when the flaming motercyclist was created at Marvel Comics by writer Mike Friedrich, editor Roy Thomas and artist Mike Ploog. Comics creators in those days - and often today - don't own anything they create for the major publishing houses, because of a contract called "work for hire." But when the first "Ghost Rider" movie came out in 2007, Friedrich sued Marvel for partial ownership of the character on a technicality - which would result in a windfall from the movie.

He desperately needed the money. Friedrich, now 69, is unemployed, broke and suffering from liver problems. He has been getting through the days by selling autographed "Ghost Rider" items at conventions as a paid guest, which according to documents amounted to a total of $17,000.

But ownership of trademark and copyright isn't something that comics publishers take lightly. Both of the major comic publishers (ala Marvel and DC Comics) make more income from licensing their library of characters than they do selling comic books. Here's the thing: According to U.S. law, failure to defend a trademark can lead to losing it.

So Marvel - and parent company Disney - went after the lawsuit, including a countersuit demanding the $17,000. They were victorious. In December, the court threw out Friedrich's suit and ordered him to pay Marvel. Also, his future income was constrained, in that he can sign and sell only "Ghost Rider" material that he buys retail.

The creative and fan community responded with fury. Blogs across the Internet excoriated Marvel, or started petitions for the $17,000 to be forgiven. Steve Niles, creator of "30 Days of Night," led a charge on Twitter and set up a Facebook page for contributions (www.steveniles.com/gary.html). Creators such as Gail Simone ("Batgirl") and Jill Thompson ("Scary Godmother") tweeted encouragement. Longtime creators'-rights champion Neal Adams was one of many who auctioned original art, with proceeds going to Friedrich.

As you might expect, there were calls to boycott the new film, "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance." That might have contributed to the film's disappointing third-place finish on its opening weekend in the U.S, with $22 million at the U.S box office.

If the movie did well, it would still be overshadowed by the back story - comics creators and fans rising up like a tidal wave to help one of their own.

Marvel Comics and Movies Alive And Well At Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment...

Marvel superhero fans - great news... more superhero themed online games rumoured to be soon hitting PartyCasino. Stay tuned to the Media Man network for more on that.

If it sounds like 2012 is going to be a pretty good year for superhero movies, both on an entertainment front (for fans) and business angle (for studios etc), that's because it is. Enjoy brigadiers, and as Marvel living legend Stan Lee would say - Excelsior!

Step into the arena for a month of exciting poker action where you could emerge with prizes fit for a champion. The minimum daily points target is just one point – so all you have to do to receive your first reward is to hit the minimum daily points target for a period of five days. The first reward you could claim is a much-deserved entry into a $500 freeroll.

The more days you earn points on, the bigger your prize. There’s up to $4,000 in cash to be won and anyone who wins a cash prize will also claim a seat in a $25,000 freeroll, giving you even more chances to win.

Finally, we've added a massive incentive for the most dedicated players. Earn 1,200 points on 30 days and you’ll win a WPT package worth $8,000 which you can use for the event of your choice. With March having 31 days, you have an extra day's rest — vital for those dedicated to reaching the very top prizes.

Gibraltar – 23rd February 2012 – ‘The Gladiator’ returns to PartyPoker.com for the month of March and, as ever, only the strongest survive in the online colosseum! In new twists, however, the popular promotion is more accessible than ever with the daily points target now starting at just one point - as well as more appealing to those who want to play a lot with ambitious new targets for the most dedicated players.

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “The promotion has been adapted with the most frequent and infrequent players in mind. From the 1st – 31st March all players have to do is opt-in and hit the minimum daily points target of one point and the road to prizes start. With the minimum daily points target at just one point – all you have to do to receive your first reward is to hit the minimum daily points target for a period of five days. The first reward you could claim is a much-deserved entry into a $500 freeroll.”

“The premise of ‘The Gladiator,’ is simple, the more days you earn points on, the bigger your prize. There’s up to $4,000 in cash to be won and anyone who wins a cash prize will also claim a seat in a $25,000 freeroll, providing even more chances to win. We've also added a massive incentive for the most dedicated players. Earn 1,200 points on 30 days and you’ll win a WPT package worth $8,000 which you can use for a WPT Main Tour event of your choice. With March having 31 days, you have an extra day's rest — vital for those dedicated to reaching the very top prizes.”

“For the players that want to push themselves even harder there is an exclusive elite target. Players who earn 1,500 points on 40 days between 1st March and 15th April will win a huge $15,000 WSOP* package**.”

You don’t even have to earn points on consecutive days: we’ll just count up the number of days where you made the targets during the promotion.

For example, if you earn 10 points every day for 10 days, take five days off and then earn 10 points on 10 more days of the promotion, you’ll get the $15 cash prize for earning 10 points on 20 days and entry into the $25,000 freeroll.

Players can keep updated on how many points picked up so far in ‘The Gladiator’ by checking their PartyAccount. Points are not removed from player accounts following the promotion – they all count towards Palladium VIP targets. Step into the arena from 1st to 31st March for a month of exciting poker action where you could emerge with prizes fit for a champion.

*World Series of Poker"® and "WSOP"® are registered trademarks of Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Inc. No license, affiliation, sponsorship or endorsement is claimed, or should be inferred from the use of these trademarks here. We are not licensed by or otherwise affiliated with Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Inc. or the World Series of Poker® in any way.

Shuffle Master to Buy Ongame Network...

American casino equipment manufacturer Shuffle Master is expected to purchase the Ongame Network from online gaming giant bwin.party, according to a report by the UK’s The Sunday Times. The move is likely being made by Shuffle Master as a way to position itself when and if online poker is legalized and regulated in the United States.

The Ongame Network has been on the auction block for a year, a casualty of bwin’s merger with Party Gaming last March 31st. The network was purchased back in 2005 by bwin for £474 million, but that was pre-UIGEA and pre-Black Friday, two dark days in online poker history that have significantly changed the valuation of Ongame. Now, the deal with Shuffle Master looks to be for a mere £13 million ($20 million). Prior to the completion of the bwin/Party union, a bwin spokesperson said that the Ongame Network was considered a “surplus asset” and that it was “no longer needed” by the combined company.

The Ongame Network currently ranks as the 6th largest online poker room network/room in terms of cash game players, according to PokerScout.com. With a seven day average of 2,150 players, it falls just behind PokerStars.it (2,250) and just ahead of Winamax.fr (2,100). PartyPoker, which has remained separate from Ongame, ranks 2nd with a seven day average of 4,750 cash game players.

The problem Shuffle Master will face, however, is that the Ongame Network will likely not be as large after the purchase as it is now, although that is probably reflected in the purchase price. The headline room of the network is bwin.com, whose customers will almost certainly stay with bwin.party after the sale. What remains to be seen is what will happen with the other rooms on the network, particularly Betfair, the best known room after bwin.

Shuffle Master is best known for its automated card shufflers, installed in gaming tables, including poker, in casinos all over the world. The company also operates Shuffle Interactive, a division which offers casino games on a variety of platforms, including PC, Mac, Facebook, iOS, and Android. The games can be licensed by online casinos.

Investment bank Roth Capital Partners said in a research note last week, “We view the interactive gaming opportunity as the most under-appreciated aspect of Shuffle’s growth story.”

Though Shuffle Master and other American gaming companies (such as International Gaming Technology, which bought the Entraction Network for $115 million last May) are making moves under the expectation that the online poker market will open up in the United States, it does not appear that that will happen until at least next year. As we reported this weekend, the disappointing news first came from reliable Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Howard Stutz, who tweeted, “One Wall Street analyst opinion: Internet poker legalization not being attached to the payroll tax bill means the issue is dead for 2012.” It is not completely out of the question that something could get passed this year, as there are slight hopes that a poker rider could be attached to the Obama Administration’s jobs package or the upcoming cyber security legislation, but those are not strong possibilities. (Credit: Poker News Daily)